Hello & welcome to Faith Lutheran Church!
The Church has entered the season of Epiphany. Except for Easter, Epiphany is the oldest festival in Christendom. Epiphany gets its name from the words of the prophet Isaiah: "And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you" (60.1). Epiphany reveals that the Baby that was born on Christmas is also the true God who has come to be our Savior.
At Epiphany we usually think of the coming of the Wise Men (Matthew 2) to worship the Christ-Child. This is the new-born Savior's first appearance to non-Jews; He would be the Savior of all people.
As Christians, we especially rejoice that Christ Jesus has made Himself known to us in His word, the Bible. We rejoice that the Holy Spirit has worked faith in our hearts so that we now come to Jesus and trust in Him as our Savior from sin, death, devil and hell. We pray that others would come to know Him as their Savior and we tell others about Him.
As we read the Bible--especially the Gospels that tell us of Jesus' earthly life-- we see God's glory shining in the human life of Jesus. Jesus is a true human being, a member of an earthly family, and at the same time He is also God, the Second Person of the Holy Trinity. Each of His miracles is a glimpse of His divine glory. "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1.14).
In Epiphany, we are strengthened in our faith in Jesus, who, though He is the eternal God, was born of Mary in Bethlehem (Christmas) and suffered and died on the cross for our sins, reconciling all sinful humankind to the holy God (Lent).
Blessed Epiphany season!
PICTURED ABOVE: Faith's former pastor, Pastor Grabenhofer, in the pulpit at Faith Lutheran Church.